Updated: Aug 5
Bengaluru, Aug 4 (IANS): Vijay Kumar, the second Indian released by the Islamic State (IS) militants in Libya last week, returned to Bengaluru on Tuesday night to a warm welcome by his family and friends.
"I am happy to be back in India and Bengaluru. The ordeal is over finally," a relieved Vijay Kumar told reporters soon after landing at the Kempegowda international airport from Tunisia via Dubai.
A lecturer at the University of Sirte in Libya, he was freed on Saturday along with Laxmikant Ramakrishna from Raichur in north Karnataka, about 490km from here.
"We are releasing you as you taught our students. You go to India and practice Islam," Kumar cited his abductors telling him while releasing them.
Asserting that their abductors treated them well and did not harm or even touched them, Kumar said they asked him if he was a Muslim.
"When I told that am an Indian have been here (in Libya) for over four years to teach their students, they respected and told we can go to India," Kumar said, adding some of them (abductors) wielding guns were his students not long ago.
Ramakrshina, another lecturer at the same university, returned to Hyderabad earlier in the day and reached Raichur by late evening.
Vijakumar and Ramakrishna were abducted on July 29 along with two other Indians - T. Gopikrishna and Balaram Krishna from the neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Gopikrishna and Krishna, who are also lecturers at the same university, are still in captive though safe.
"Let us pray for the safe release of other two (Gopikrishna and Krishna) for whom the university has set up a special committee to convince the abductors that they were not spies but teachers," Kumar said.
All the four were first detained by the IS militants at a checkpoint after they left Sirte in two cars to Tunisia by road to catch a flight to India and were taken to an unknown destination in the city.
The duo reached the Indian embassy in Tripoli on July 31 and left for Dubai on Monday on way to India.
Earlier Report
We were treated with respect: Karnataka teacher released by ISIS
Hyderabad, Aug 4 (PTI): One of the two Indian teachers from Karnataka who was kidnapped in Libya, allegedly by Islamic State (IS) terror group and released subsequently, today said they were treated with respect by the abductors and not tortured in captivity.
Lakshmikant, from Raichur district in Karnataka, arrived at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) here.
"...Nobody tortured us...they did not harm...they gave respect," Lakshmikant told reporters here.
Four Indian teachers working at University of Sirte in Libya, including two from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, were kidnapped in Libya allegedly by the ISIS while returning to India from Tripoli on July 29.
The Indian government had on July 31 said it had secured the release of two of them - Lakshmikant and Vijay Kumar.
"Four of us were together (during captivity). They released me and Vijay Kumar. I have been told that Gopikrishna and Balram are safe. I am requesting them that they too are released," Lakshmikant said.
Lakshmikant's wife Prathiba, who was among the family members who received him at the airport, said, "We are very happy and proud of the Indian government. We thank each and everybody, media and family friends."
Vijay Kumar's family hails from Kolar district in Karnataka.
Gopikrishna, an assistant professor at University of Sirte in Libya, is a native of Tekkali in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, while Balram, an English Professor, also works at the same University and hails from Karimnagar district of Telangana.